Method for attaching tubes using an adhesive

Abstract

A method is provided for attaching together a pair of telescoped tubes. Prior to telescoping the tubes together, an adhesive storage cavity is formed on the surface of at least one of the tubes, and the adhesive cavity is filled with adhesive, so that adhesive within the adhesive cavity faces toward the surface of the other tube when the tubes are telescoped together. After the tubes are telescoped together, with the inner tube inside the outer tube, the adhesive within the storage cavity is cured so that the inner and outer tubes are adhesively attached together. During the curing of the adhesive, the adhesive will flow or expand out of the storage cavity to coat a portion of the opposing surfaces of the inner and outer tube.

1 . A method of attaching together an inner tube and an outer tube that telescope together, comprising: 
 forming on the surface of at least one of the tubes, prior to the telescoping of the tubes together, an adhesive storage cavity that will face toward the surface of the other tube once the tubes are telescoped together;    filling the adhesive storage cavity with adhesive;    telescoping the tubes together with the inner tube inside the outer tube so that the adhesive within the adhesive storage cavity faces toward the other tube;    and curing the adhesive so that the inner and outer tubes are adhesively attached.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the adhesive being a heat curable adhesive that upon being heated flows at least partially out of the storage cavity to coat surface portions of the inner and outer tubes.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the adhesive being characterized by sufficient viscosity and partial curing to cause the adhesive to remain embedded within the adhesives storage cavity during handling of the tube prior to the telescoping together of the tubes.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  in which the adhesive storage cavity is a groove that extends circumferentially around at least a portion of the circumference of at least one tube.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  in which the cavity is a groove that extends axially along the surface of at least one tube.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  in which the inner tube is formed as solid member of either cast or machined manufacture that will telescope with at least one outer tube.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  in which the solid member has a plurality of inner tubes formed thereon to join together a plurality of outer members.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  in which both the inner and outer tubes have adhesive storage cavities provided thereon and the adhesive storage cavity are located such that upon telescoping together of the inner and outer tubes the adhesive storage cavities of each tube are not registered with one another and instead register with an opposed surface of the other tube.  
     
     
         9 . A method of attaching together an inner tube and an outer tube that telescope together, comprising: 
 forming a cavity on the outer surface of the inner tube and filling the cavity with adhesive;    forming a cavity on the inner surface of the outer tube and filling the cavity with adhesive;    placing the inner tube within the outer tube so that the adhesive filled cavity of the inner tube is facing the inner surface of the outer tube and the adhesive cavity of the outer tube is facing the outer surface of the inner tube;    and curing the adhesive so that the inner and outer tubes are adhesively attached.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  in which the cavity formed on the outer surface of the inner tube is a groove that extends circumferentially at least part way around the circumference of the outer surface of the inner tube and opens outwardly and the cavity formed on the inner surface of the outer tube is a groove that extends circumferentially at least part way around the circumference of the inner surface of the outer tube and opens inwardly.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  in which the cavity formed on the outer surface of the inner tube is a groove that extends longitudinally along the outer surface of the inner tube and opens outwardly toward the inner surface of the outer tube and the cavity formed on the inner surface of the outer tube is a groove that extends longitudinally along the inner surface of the outer tube and opens inwardly toward the outer surface of the inner tube.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9  in which the cavity formed on one of the tubes is a groove that extends circumferentially at least part way around the circumference of the tube and the cavity that is formed on the other tube is a groove that extends longitudinally along the surface of that tube.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9  in which the adhesive is a liquid that is dispensed into the cavities of the respective tubes and assumes a condition so as to be self retained within the cavity.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  in which the adhesive is a heat curable adhesive and upon heating of the adhesive, the adhesive flows from the adhesive cavities and flows longitudinal between the inner surface of the outer tube and the outer surface of the inner tube to coat and bond together a substantial portion of the opposing surfaces of the inner and outer tubes.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  in which the adhesive is formulated to expand upon heating.  
     
     
         16 . A method of connecting together a pair of tubes of different size, comprising: 
 embedding an adhesive within a cavity provided on the outer surface of the smaller of the tubes;    embedding an adhesive within a cavity provided on the inner surface of the larger of the tubes;    assembling the tubes with the smaller tube inside the larger tube;    and curing the adhesive so that the adhesive embedded in the cavity of the smaller tube bonds with the larger tube and the adhesive embedded in the cavity of the larger tube bonds with the smaller tube.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising: 
 forming the cavity on the outer surface of the smaller tube by providing a groove on the outer surface.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising: forming the cavity on the inner surface of the larger tube by providing a groove on the inner surface.